"A La Carte"

[Dr. Shane]

A la carte would make it a lot easier for Christians, including Adventists, to have access to the Christian channels they want like Hope Channel, SafeTV and 3ABN. It would also help them get rid of the garbage channels they don't want.

But how would it impact our ability to reach non-Adventists with our message? How many non-Adventists would choose our channels?

Cable a la Carte: Choice vs. Cost?

Quote:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin sent a clear message to cable companies on Nov. 29: Give customers a choice. In his testimony before the Senate, Martin lamented a significant upswing in sex and profanity on TV in recent years and upbraided broadcasters for running "some of the coarsest programming ever aired." As a fix, the FCC chairman said he would propose the adoption of "a la carte" programming, whereby customers could choose just the channels they want or opt for a family-friendly tier of channels.

Quote:

"A la carte is one of those things that sounds good but wouldn't be good in practice," Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons said at a Dec. 6 press conference. Some observers say government-mandated a la carte programming won't fly because the logistical hurdles are too high...

But assuming Martin does get his way, would the customer really have more choice? Cable companies generally say no, arguing that a la carte pricing would reduce the diversity of programming available and that the overhead needed to implement a pay-per-channel model would only drive up prices for consumers. A notable exception is Cablevision (CVC), the largest cable-TV provider in the New York area. "A la carte will result in a more affordable service for all, with more programming options," it said in a Dec. 1 statement. "Consumers should not be obliged directly or indirectly to buy services they do not want."